4 Visions on The Workplace of The Future

March 5, 2018

Imagine yourself working on the moon in a couple of years. Elon Musk recently launched a rocket capable of floating in space for tens of millions of years. Although this may seem like just a weird and extremely innovative idea, chances are that it might happen. Scenes from movies such as “Mission Impossible” and “Star Trek” are supposed to be science fiction, but wars and nuclear issues have become part of our modern-day lives. Who would have thought fifty years ago? Diving into these future developments, Accenture and ISS have teamed up to define the workplace of the future. At one of the Innovation Exchanges, where corporates meet startups, we asked the experts to share their thoughts.

“I think that there will still be a place where people go to work, but you can work anywhere. Going to the office will be a moment for meeting each other. Another aspect is individualization and customization. For example: adapting the temperature and lights to your own preference. That is where I see opportunities in the technology field. No longer ‘one size fits all’, but the ability to adjust things matching your wishes.”

“The possibility will arise that you will be challenged not to sit behind your computer screen. It is common to sit behind your laptop for two to four hours straight. The whole transformation of being able to work flexibly, productivity is going to take place on your smartphone or portable device. I believe in a work environment that supports you more in the back-end.”

“The changes that I envision are in the way we work with each other and buildings adapting to these changes. There are tons of movements happening at the moment and the impact on organizations is massive. Working must be organized differently, because we work on shorter terms, with different people and with a variety of skills and ways of working. Themes such as health and well-being have become more prominent: how can we deal with people in their work environment, how can we make people more productive and successful? Another movement is that buildings become ‘smarter’. For this reason, I can’t define the future of work and workspaces. Interestingly, WeWork, a worldwide network of workplaces, will collaborate with universities to facilitate study spaces outside of regular working hours.”

“One of the movements I see happening and apply in my own business is decentralization. For example, I have eight employees who work in four different offices and we meet once or twice a week in Amsterdam. This is the newest way of ‘flexworking’. I prefer my employees to work closer to their homes to save their valuable time, which would otherwise be wasted on traveling to the office or being stuck in traffic.”

It is quite surprising to see that startups and corporates are aligned when it comes to their vision for the future. Both are open-minded about adopting innovative technologies and embracing the changes that need to be made soon. But both are also exposed to technological disruptions.

How open-minded towards the future are you?

The theme of the upcoming Innovation Exchange on Wednesday May 16th will be: ‘’What workplace improvements can we make for a truly energized and enlightened workforce, supporting employee wellness platforms?” As the theme suggests, this exchange will fully focus on the future of the workforce!

Which innovations can we put in place to improve the quality of life for those in the office, increasing well-being, engagement, vitality and satisfaction? How can we offer the best services to employees for integrating work and life preferences, serving the flexible workforce at flexible workplaces? And how can we use tools and products to improve and support employee activities? These are some of the questions we’ll be asking during the third Innovation Exchange. Want to participate? Click here to register.

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More than 750 innovations have signed up for the eleventh Accenture Innovation Summit. But only 55 will get the opportunity to pitch their concepts at the final Summit and compete for a Blue Tulip.